Have you ever wondered if your mom’s life really is harder than yours? Last weekend, Stagefemmes’ production of Freaky Friday pursued an answer to that age-old question. With the Horn Gallery as their domain, the talented cast told the story of rebellious teenager Ellie and her micromanaging mother Katherine the day before Katherine’s wedding. When the two break a magic hourglass during an argument and switch bodies, Ellie and Katherine must navigate the other’s life until they can find a way to put things right. 

Stagefemmes drew a sizable audience to the Horn — a place I originally worried might not be big enough to pull off the show — to round out a weekend full of student performances. After the show, first-time director Lottie Mathew ’27 spoke with the Collegian about the location choice: “I feel like everybody thinks about [the Horn Gallery] for music, but nobody really thinks about it for theater. … We decided to have the audience sit where the stage usually is so we could use the kitchen — it was just a great framing space [and] I didn’t need all of the fancy stuff.”  To Mathew’s point, the Horn setup was plenty comfortable, with leather couches and chairs arranged in a semicircle around the performers. 

Despite minor logistical challenges like a lack of microphones, Mathew and the rest of the crew utilized the space in a way that supported the absurdity of the story and the physical space that it required. During a post-“switch” scene in which Katherine (played by Liz Teleisha ’27) gives a frantic tour of her house to wedding magazine columnist Danielle (Addy Killinger ’29), Katherine runs behind the Horn’s counter and shows off the fridge, sink and cabinets. The cast further adapted to the smaller space by using the Horn’s side doors to run on and off stage.

Beyond the technical strengths of the performance, the cast undoubtedly brought the characters and narrative to life. Even though Freaky Friday reminded me of my eighth grade theater days, the leads — Teleisha as Katherine and Leah Miller ’28 as Ellie — built a heartwarming and relatable dynamic between the mother and daughter characters as the two collaborated to come up with a plan to return to their original bodies. Sydney Green ’28 successfully executed the weirdness of Ellie’s eccentric puppeteer brother Fletcher (I concur, that’s really what little brothers are like), while Bridget Eastman ’29 captured the neuroticism of Katherine’s assistant Torrey. Not only did the cast perform well in the first roles the audience saw them in, but every cast member except Miller played multiple parts. Damon Cavitt ’29 starred as Mike (Katherine’s husband-to-be) and a few teachers, while Scarlett Kindle ’29 played both Ellie’s school crush and her grandfather. Overall, despite the small cast, the actors’ ability to successfully portray a handful of different characters strengthened the production. 

Some musical highlights from Freaky Friday included the choreography in “Go” (where Ellie and the other high schoolers embark on a school-wide scavenger hunt) and “Watch Your Back” (which takes place during Ellie’s gym class). Each actor’s energy in the dances made it obvious that they genuinely enjoyed the story. When the musical came to an end, audience members jovially gave the cast and crew a standing ovation before friends and family members met up with the actors. The spirited performance drew me to ask Mathew what makes Freaky Friday so special, to which the director answered, “I think [Freaky Friday] is really heartwarming, and it’s just the right amount silly for Kenyon College — everybody loves a feel-good, fun time!” Mathew gushed over the cast and their enthusiasm, “The cast made it so easy, and they were so responsive to everything. … They were so eager to put their own spin on things, [and] it honestly made it like a dream.” After three lively performances on the Hill this weekend, the cast and crew of Freaky Friday continue to enhance the theater community on campus. Even as the semester winds down, musical lovers can look forward to more Stagefemmes productions throughout the year.